Future Reflections Winter/Spring 2008
A review by the Access Technology Team of the International Braille
and Technology Center (IBTC) at the National Center for the Blind
In a world dominated by computer technology, touch-typing is critical and is set to remain a core skill for blind students. All four of the products reviewed below provide excellent methods for teaching touch-typing to blind learners using a PC keyboard. They come with multiple site licenses for school and educational institutions or may be purchased separately for individual use.
TypeAbility requires JAWS, while the other three typing tutors come with their own speech so no additional screen access software is needed. Of course the student will need JAWS or a similar screen access program, or a sighted assistant, to locate each tutor to begin with.
TypeAbility:
TypeAbility, available from <www.yesaccessible.com/typeability.html>,
is a typing tutor program which relies on JAWS for Windows screen access software
to make its accessible features come alive. In fact, without JAWS, there will
be no speech output. The program offers extensive options and training levels
and has been found by some teachers to be more flexible than other typing tutor
programs. It is available for $85 as a single installation, $220 for a ten-site
license, and $440 for a twenty-site license.
Targeted to younger students, TypeAbility presents the lessons in a playful,
childlike format. It provides immediate feedback if the learner presses an incorrect
key, with a gentle reminder of the correct key. The program comes with sixty-eight
default lessons, but more can be added by a teacher or parent. The program can
also be modified to cater to adult learners. Go to the product�s Web site for
a demo of the product.
Talking Typer for Windows:
Talking Typer for Windows, available from American Printing House for the Blind
(<www.aph.org>), costs $79 (without enhanced voicing) or $89 (with enhanced
voicing). This program is self-voicing and has various levels from which a student
can choose. It will tell the student what keys to press and then report back
whether the correct key sequence was pressed. Other options include speed tests
where the student increases his typing speed to receive feedback on how fast
and accurately he is typing.
PC Talking Typing Tutor:
PC Talking Typing Tutor, available from DeWitt and Associates at <www.4dewitt.com>,
costs $99 for a personal copy. It comes with speech and has similar features
to the Talking Typer for Windows program. A classroom version is also available
at $199, with an additional $49 being charged per student seat. This version
allows a teacher to use multiple profiles to track the progress of different
students.
Consisting of fourteen lessons, PC Talking Typing Tutor takes a student from
identifying the keys on the keyboard to advanced practice of his or her typing
skills. Each lesson contains various exercises, allowing the student to repeat
the items from the lesson. It also provides speed and accuracy testing in each
lesson. There are various options to change the look of the interface to accommodate
low vision. Depending on what speech is available on the computer being used,
the student may be able to choose different voices. The speed and pitch of any
available voice can be altered to accommodate user preference.
Talking Typing Teacher:
Talking Typing Teacher, available from MarvelSoft at <www.marvelsoft.com>,
is self-voicing and works in a similar way to the other typing tutors. Once
again, personal programs are available, as well as teacher�s versions that allow
an instructor to set up learning tracts for a student. Adults may want to turn
off many of the features to make the program friendlier and less childlike.
The student MarvelSoft product costs $104.95. The Talking Typing Teacher Pro
version, at $404.95, is network compatible and can serve up to thirty-five machines
from the one central (server) machine on which the program is installed. The
Pro version allows a teacher to teach up to thirty-five students at a time,
while centrally storing all the information, and it comes with an extensive
teacher kit.
NOTE: The staff at the International Braille and Technology Center for the
Blind (IBTC) is able to review these competing products because this laboratory
for the blind has a mandate to purchase one working model of all Braille embossers,
along with other technology for the blind sold in America. Vistors who wish
to personally compare rival products are welcome to do so during business hours
and by making a prior appointment. The IBTC is located in Baltimore, Maryland,
at the National Center for the Blind.